In an effort to advance the quality of nurse anesthesia care provided to patients, the NBCRNA maintains a recertification process for all practicing CRNAs. The recertification helps to ensure that all nurse anesthetists are maintaining an adequate level of skill required to practice safe anesthesia, as well as keeping current with the scientific and technological developments within the field. A nurse anesthetist who has satisfied the NBCRNA’s objective criteria will receive recertification for a period of two years.

Overview: What is Needed for NBCRNA Recertification

The National Board of Certification and Recertification Continued Professional Certification (CPC) Program requires CRNAs to earn 100 CE credits each recertification cycle: 60 Class A credits and 40 Class B credits (or 40 additional Class A credits), CPC Assessment, and Completion of CPC Core Modules.

Continued Professional Certification (CPC) Program

In 2012, the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists adopted a new standard for the recertification of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. This new standard is known as The Continued Professional Certification Program (or CPC) and took effect on January 1, 2016.

1. General Requirements for CPC.
Applicants for recertification must hold a current and valid registered nursing and/or advanced nursing practice license issued by the individual’s state board(s) of nursing. Applicants must be initially certified as a nurse anesthetist by NBCRNA or its predecessor(s). When you apply, you will need to have earned the required 60 Class A and 40 Class B credits. You will need to be able to attest to engagement in practice, and
have completed the Core Modules, if required (optional in the first 4-year cycle).

2. Length of Certification.
Once you have completed the first 4-year cycle of the CPC Program and your application has been approved, you will begin your second 4-year cycle. You are then eligible to take the CPC Assessment any time in the second 4-year cycle during testing durations.

3. Core Modules.
In every four-year certification cycle, candidates must complete four Core Modules, one in each of the following categories. The modules will qualify for assessed continuing education credits (count towards the Class A credit requirement). The Core Modules are focused on current information in the following areas of CRNA practice, and one Core Module from each of the four core areas is required in each 4-year cycle: Airway Management Techniques, Applied Clinical Pharmacology, Human Physiology and Pathophysiology, and Anesthesia Technology

Core Modules include a formal assessment, such as multiple-choice questions. and may be obtained thought approved Core Module providers. The Core Modules will count toward the required 60 Class A credits as part of the Class A credit requirement earned through approved CPC Program Core Module providers.

If you have CE credit transfer from the AANA, Class A credits earned through Core Modules will be automatically reported to the NBCRNA. If you do not have credit transfer, you will need to report credits directly to the NBCRNA as a part of your Renewal of Certification process every four years.